MP Eric Joyce banned from buying alcohol anywhere in the House of Commons after arrest for alleged second drunken brawl

Falkirk MP Eric Joyce has been banned from buying or being served alcohol anywhere in the Palace of Westminster, after he was arrested yesterday following an alleged late-night brawl in a House of Commons bar.

Mr Joyce, 52, remained in custody today answering police questions about the incident.

More than a dozen officers were called after the fracas involving Mr Joyce at Westminster's Sports and Social Club where a karaoke night was taking place.

Last year he pleaded guilty to charges of common assault after headbutting a Tory MP in the Strangers Bar in Parliament. He was fined £3,000 and resigned from the Labour party.

Mr Joyce has said he will stand down at the next election as the MP for Falkirk, which he is now representing as an independent.

The episode will increase pressure on Mr Joyce, who served as the parliamentary aide to Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth, to step down early.

According to eyewitnesses, Mr Joyce wrestled on the ground with officers, with one policeman's helmet knocked off in the process. He was then handcuffed and put into a police van while still appearing to resist arrest.

In an interview with The Sunday Times this month Joyce revealed that his continuing problems with alcohol and violence may yet see him “die or go to jail”.

Describing last year's assault, the MP said he had drunk a bottle of wine in the bar before starting the rampage. He said he “saw red” after being asked to keep quiet by Tories at the bar.

“I thumped them with my fist and my head – not with massive viciousness but with enough to sting,” he said.

Today a House of Commons spokesman said: “The Serjeant at Arms has confirmed that yesterday evening the Member for Falkirk was detained following a disturbance on the Parliamentary Estate.

“The House authorities take their responsibility for the welfare of those who work in and visit the Commons estate very seriously. The authorities promote responsible alcohol use and have policies in place to encourage staff and Members to consume alcohol accordingly.

“Alcohol-related incidents on the Estate are rare, and the serious incident last night was counter to the policies in place.

“Given the Member for Falkirk has previously been found guilty of an alcohol-related incident on the Parliamentary Estate, the Speakers and House authorities have agreed that with immediate effect the Member for Falkirk will be prohibited from purchasing and being served alcoholic beverages from all Parliamentary facilities.

This ban will be indefinite subject to the outcome of police investigations.“

It is understood that Mr Joyce was involved in an altercation at the Commons Sports and Social Club bar after apparently being told he could not take a glass with him when he went to a smoking area outside.

Witness Tony Grew, a journalist from the PoliticsHome website, told ITV it happened during a karaoke night in the bar, which was packed with about 150 people.

He said Mr Joyce entered the room “obviously agitated” and pushed his way forward to the bar.

When he followed him out of the bar he saw Mr Joyce on the ground “wrestling with two police officers”.

“He appeared to have one of the officers in an armlock, he put his arm around the officer's neck, and the other police officer was on top of him,” Mr Grew.

He said that after Mr Joyce was handcuffed he saw him “on a bench, being held down by three or four police officers - he was still struggling”.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said last night: “Police were called shortly before 10.30pm this evening to reports of a disturbance at a bar within the House of Commons.

“Officers attended and a man aged in his 50s was arrested in connection with this incident.”

Mr Joyce resigned from the Labour Party after headbutting Tory rivals Stuart Andrew and Ben Maney in a previous incident in a Commons bar last February.

He also punched Tory councillor Luke Mackenzie and Labour whip Phillip Wilson and swore at police on that occasion.

The former soldier walked away from Westminster Magistrates Court with a fine and pub banning order after admitting four counts of common assault.

He was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £1,400 to victims after he entered early guilty pleas.

Mr Joyce was also given a 12-month community order - banning him from entering pubs and licensed premises for three months - and imposed with a curfew order from Friday to Sunday.

After the hearing, Mr Joyce admitted he was lucky to avoid jail and said he was “deeply apologetic”.

So he was at a karaoke night in the House of Commons, had too much too drink, got into a fight and ended up headlocking a copper. You seriously couldn't make it up

MPs get alcohol and food in the bars at reduced prices, unlike the rest of us who all have to play current prices out in the real world, then they have the cheek to cut benefits for disabled and mentally ill people, what about making them pay full prices for things like the rest of us, cutting their expenses, cutting their second homes, cutting all their allowances instead of targetting vulnerable people. These money grabbers are a total land utter disgrace.